Strawberries. Such plump parcels of sweetness. Ryan and I sit down to a carton of strawberries like a child with a bowl of M&M's. The anticipation, the first bite, the subsequent snacking...not knowing when or if we'll stop. If the berries are just ripe enough, their sweetness at that optimal, sun-kissed level, we'll easily go through a pound. Something about strawberries and these first days of summer warmth send me to such a peaceful place.

As I anticipate moving to Austin and beginning my MFA in creative writing, I've been contemplating ways to continue my baking. Ryan and I want to open a bakery in the next few years, and I'm constantly trying new recipes and techniques so that when/if that day comes, I'll be prepared. One of my plans is to start baking cakes/pies/muffins "at cost". Ryan and I love baked goods, but we simply can't eat enough of them to keep up with my baking schedule! Additionally, I'm finding more and more of our monthly budget going to flour, sugar, fruit, ect...So I'm hoping that I can begin offering my services to friends and people in my community.

Our dessert night this past week was larger than usual. Instead of the normal three, we had eight people over to our tiny apartment, and we shared this light and fresh strawberry cake. Composed of three layers of vanilla cake and smothered in a fresh strawberry icing, this spring concoction pleased all. Click on the link below the picture to read more...

Now my favorite part of this recipe is undeniably the frosting. Like many people, I believe a cake can only be crowned "excellent" if the frosting has that perfect balance of creaminess and sweetness, if you take one bite and find yourself wanting to sit down to an entire bowl. This frosting recipe utilizes fresh, pureed strawberries, which cast a perfect pink hue and impart that delicate strawberry flavor we all adore. Rich, creamy and wonderfully fresh, this frosting recipe makes all the difference in the world. Strawberry Frosting2 sticks butter (room temperature)1 cup of fresh strawberries, stems removed4-5 cups powdered sugar1 tsp vanilla extract 1. Puree strawberries in a blender or a food processor until almost liquid. 2. In a large bowl, cream butter with mixer and gradually add in powdered sugar. Add in strawberry puree and vanilla and mix until well combined and fluffy.

And now to our cake...simple and delicious, you will find this recipe will work well for cupcakes, layer cakes, or pan cakes. I love adaptability and this recipe offers just that. It is a wonderful cake recipe to use if you're just starting to bake from scratch. Deemed the 1-2-3-4 cake, this recipe gets its name from the proportion of ingredients: 1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups flour and four eggs. This cake bakes up light and fluffy, and has a nice, simple flavor that pairs well with a variety of fillings and frosting. Additionally, the cake holds up well during icing, so you don't have to worry about your cake crumbling to pieces before you get it on a platter.

I would recommend refrigerating your layers before frosting them. Although it means you might have to allot a few more hours of time to your creation, you will find the layers so much easier to work with when you begin frosting. After letting my layers cool on a wire rack, I wrap them tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate them for at least a few hours and up to a day.

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Using a mixer, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue to cream well for 6 to 8 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. 2. Add your flour and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Stir in vanilla and continue to beat until just mixed. 3. Divide your batter equally among prepared pans. (I use measuring cups in order to ensure equal distribution) Level you batter in each pan by holding it a few above counter, then dropping flat onto counter. Do this several times to release air bubbles and assure a more level cake. 4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (start checking at 15 minutes if you are making cupcakes).

Assembly time:1. After cake layers are thouroughly cooled and preferably refrigerated, transfer your first layer to a serving platter or cardboard cake mat. In this recipe, I spread a strawberry jam in between the layers of cake, which worked wonderfully and was much easier than making a homemade curd. Spread a thin layer of jam or curd over your first layer. Carefully align second layer on top and repeat with jam. Place your final layer on top but do not slather with curd or jam.2. Frost top and sides of cake with icing. A wide knife or spatula work well. Decorate cake with sliced strawberries if desired.

Enjoy this cake with family and friends...over the course of two days, over ten people came over to share cake with us...what a blessing!

I LOVE strawberries. This cake looks delicious! I also have trouble eating up everything that I've been baking. I bring the majority of what I make in to work but we havea really small office so even then it's still hard.. So sadly, i've begun to scale back on my baking.

I have to admit, I am as curious as Stella! I mean I have to ration visits to your site because I gain weight just drooling over all the goodies! ( :

Reply

Monet

05/17/2010 4:50pm

Well friends...I don't have much of a sweet tooth (thankfully), and I walk about 3-4 miles everyday. I would much rather have a whole wheat roll with jam than a piece of cake. And Ryan and I try to share our sweets (I'll usually have just a small slice, and then give the rest away)

OMG....a woman who loves to use butter.....and she makes incredible desserts.....I hope Ryan knows just how lucky he is!!!! I have to say I love the recipe 1-2-3-4, I have to try it and I actually like doing the layers ahead of time, gives me time to complete the whole cake...somedays there are just not enough hours in the day.thanks so much for sharing....and I think you need to start marketing your cakes, to start recouping some of your expenses..people will pay!!! just dont charge to little...its hard to raise prices later.cheersDennis

What a cute cake!! I have cake baking obsession, and unfortunately I do have a sweet tooth. Luckily so does my boyfriend! They're great to pawn sweets off on. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I'm looking forward to following your posts!!

Who can go wrong with strawberry cake? My wife is chocolate fiend, but I prefer fruit or vanilla so this cake is just my style!

I like your idea of trying to cook for others to keep learning and practicing while moving the cost on as well. Loving something can be a challenge...

Jason

Reply

Aleisha Butler

05/18/2010 5:11pm

This looks amazing! I so badly wanted to make it today but I fear that if I just whip it up Cliff and I will eat the whole thing. So I called my brother and asked if I could make the dessert for his birthday in two weeks. He agreed and I am so excited to make it!

We must be on the same page because I've been thinking about making a strawberry cake. My mom used to make one that had strawberries in the cake itself. It was so good. I've been on a quest to veganize it. I've gotten close, but still more work to do (I love tweaking recipes). I make it as a sheet cake but I love the idea of layer cakes with strawberries or strawberry jam between the layers. Now I'm inspired!

Holly telledo sis- you got like 15 comments about this cake! Jeez!! Well- I gotta say- when I saw the pics of the slice of cake (3 layers- real strawberries in the icing- home made batter) honestly- my mouth started watering and hasn't stopped. I am actually kinda mad at you right now that I can't have a piece of the cake. Will you make this when you come visit? I'm sending a link to my friends about your cakes at cost right now. :) Wish you were staying- I'd be your BEST customer. I can guarantee that.

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